


Whatever The Outcome

by Astomera



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Animal Transformation, Catstiel, Fluff, M/M, Trickster Gabriel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 13:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1120451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astomera/pseuds/Astomera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel thinks temporarily turning Dean and Cas into small animals might be good for them...and somehow that ends up being true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Simple Truths

It happened quickly and without warning. The Winchester brothers and Castiel were sitting around a motel room discussing a case, and the next moment, the angel appeared to be gone. This would not have fazed the brothers too much as Castiel frequently disappeared without word, but in his place was a small cat. It had long, black fur and very blue eyes.

Dean did a double-take and cleared his throat. Sam stared at the animal.

"Sam?" Dean's hand gripped his pistol just in case.

"Did Castiel just turn into a cat?" asked Sam. The thing in question was looking around wildly and stumbling about on shaky legs. The brothers simultaneously stepped back as the cat moved in their direction.

Dean balked and said nothing.

"How can a kitten even contain an angel?" Sam's observation was keen, for the animal was fairly young and was more accurately described as a kitten than a fully-grown cat, and it was also true that a kitten was not a suitable vessel for a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent.

"Cas?" Dean asked. The kitten had stopped moving for the most part and was settled on the floor. Its very blue eyes were open but did not focus on either brother.

"Cats have small brains," Sam said matter-of-factly. "He probably can't understand you. This might just be an average kitten, Dean. Maybe Cas just left and, uh, this cat was...already here..." He was grasping at straws; that much was plain to see. The kitten apparently thought so as well and meowed loudly at Sam.

"This is Cas." Dean tucked his gun in the waistband of his jeans and crouched next to the cat, observing it. "It looks like him."

"No, it looks like Jimmy."

"Same difference." Dean scooped up into his arms the being that was, in fact, Castiel, and stood. Castiel batted a paw at a button on his shirt. "Hey, look. He likes me." Sam, ever the rational brother, had an idea as to how Castiel could have been turned into a cat.

"I bet it was Gabriel," he thought aloud. "I can't think of anything else that would be able to explain this. The only supernatural creatures in this town are a couple of demons, which probably don't have this kind of power, and there hasn't been any witch activity I've heard about in the area...we could call Bobby; he might have an idea."

Dean smiled at Castiel. "I've always kind of wanted a cat."

"Dean!" Sam cried, exasperated as usual. Dean's arms curled around the kitten protectively.

"What?"

"That's not just a cat; that's a freaking angel. If it is him."

"Bitch." Dean looked down at the cat and met its wide eyes for a moment. It did look very much like Castiel's vessel. If it looked like Castiel itself, Dean would probably be blind. He was glad it looked like Jimmy, then.

Sam's mouth was a taut line as he put his cell phone to his ear. "Jerk."

"He's a dog person," the elder brother explained to Castiel with a quick smile.

***

Bobby had agreed with Sam: it seemed like the kind of stunt Gabriel would pull. It was well within his power to do, at least. They knew it would be difficult to find or summon the archangel to reverse the strange magic. Dean decided that it wouldn't hurt to wait a few days until the town's demons were dispatched. Of course, it would be easier if Castiel could just smite them, but there was nothing that could really be done if Gabriel had transformed him to teach them a lesson. Dean just wasn't going to admit that out loud.

Dean was driving the Impala around the town, trying to find a pet store for the friend in his lap.

"We don't even know if he can eat," Sam stated, eyeing the black furball warily.

"Well, apparently he sleeps, which human Cas couldn't do either. Besides, I'd rather be safe and feed him than be wrong and let him starve." He stroked Castiel's fur gently, steering the car with his left hand on the wheel.

Eventually, they found a small shop and went inside. Asking the saleslady for advice, they settled on buying a kilo of kitten chow, a brush, some plastic bowls, and to Dean's great amusement, a blue collar with a bell, of which Castiel greatly disliked but was forced to wear regardless.

Somewhere not far from the trio, Gabriel was having a fit.

It was once they'd gotten back to their room that Sam realized they hadn't bought kitty litter, so Dean drove back with the complacent angel and bought all the necessary things. _You are never living this down_ , Dean tried to convey through back pats and head scratches.

 _Dean_ , Castiel thought, because he was a warrior of Heaven and would punch Dean later if it didn't feel so nice.

***

Three and a half weeks had passed since Castiel was changed. They ended up in southern Arkansas. The rain fell hard outside and the Winchesters were finally turning in for the night, but it was one of those motel rooms that never had proper heating. Sam was out like a light and Dean was somewhat cold and barely conscious. He lay on his back, gently stroking the sleeping cat's sides until he himself was finally asleep. Castiel was on Dean's chest with his front legs stretched in front of him and his head tucked between them, purring deeply. Things were okay.

At roughly 4:39 AM, Castiel woke and found that he appeared very much human once more. Though he did not tend to tire in this vessel, he did feel drowsy - and, oddly, content.

There was also the fact that he was laying on top of Dean Winchester. His left hand grasped the blanket under him lightly, and his right had reached up to rest on Dean's collar bone. The tips of Castiel's fingers actually caressed the hunter's neck! His head rested on Dean's ribcage and the rest of him fit neatly between Dean's blanketed legs. He could hear and feel Dean's heart beat very close to his vessel's skin. That steady pumping seemed to be what sent Castiel to sleep a lot of the time during those three weeks. He was glad to feel it now.

Dean, naturally, was a light sleeper. When something woke him up before the sun had risen, be couldn't think of what it was and acted without thought. His hand rose to rub Castiel's side slowly. It didn't alarm him when he felt fabric instead of fur; in fact, he didn't think anything of it at all, and continued the motion until he was asleep again, warm and pleased. Castiel, being fully conscious at that point, was surprised when he felt Dean's hand move and brush against his overcoat. He admitted to himself that he quite preferred the feeling when it was just fur over his skin from Dean's warm hand, but he sensed that it was something he should never call to light.

Castiel closed his eyes and meditated until long after the sun was up. Sam rose first, as he often did, and was startled when he looked at Dean's situation. Taking in Cas's wide blue eyes, though, he decided to let it be and went on with his morning routine quieter than he normally would have. Castiel was thankful. He'd had many hours to contemplate his and Dean's relationship. He acknowledged his willingness to be closer to Dean, something that was more of a desire than complacency, and knew it would always be so. Everything had to move at Dean's pace.

It's easier to love a kitten than a man, Castiel thought sadly. And even easier to love a man than an angel, if Sam Winchester's connection to his brother was called to light. John Winchester and Bobby Singer were men, and Dean loved them fiercely too, but seemed unwilling to be close with Castiel. He doesn't fear me, he thought. Maybe that was love: not fearing someone, but fearing for them. If that was true, then Castiel did love Dean. He wouldn't have been by his side for so long if it were not.

He decided it would be appropriate to have Dean wake with Castiel on him, in his human vessel and no longer a small cat. If Dean could accept and treat the cat with affection, perhaps it could be the same for the man.

Castiel knew, though. He knew if Dean could not love him for what he was, an angel of the Lord, then he would not please Dean in any vessel. Whatever the outcome, Castiel would still be there for him, for he too had free will and would always choose Dean.

At ease with his conclusions, he cleared his mind of thought and focused on Dean's heartbeat. He counted 925 beats before carefully indulging in the feel of Dean's throat beneath his fingertips with feather-light touches. The Winchester woke calmly and hummed.

"Cas," Dean said with closed eyes and a neutral expression. Castiel didn't look at his face; he concentrated instead on the thrum against his ear and the rise and fall of Dean's chest. His hand stilled.

"Yes," he confirmed quietly. Dean's eyes opened and he glanced at his brother's bed.

"Where's Sam?"

"Sam is getting breakfast. It's almost nine."

They probably want to talk about this, Dean thought and managed not to grimace. He then asked Cas how long he'd been awake. Of course, 'in a human vessel' went unsaid.

"Nearly four hours." Castiel's voice was still soft and small. This powerful, aeons-old creature laying on him sounded weary, and that sad tone managed to influence Dean's next question.

"You OK?" He stared at the ceiling and swallowed hard. Cas blinked in surprise.

"I'm fine."

"Good." Dean patted Cas roughly on the back and moved to get up. Cas rolled onto the bed so the hunter could, he expected, prepare himself to forget that morning and the three weeks prior. Dean didn't disappoint.


	2. Futility

Seeing Dean's disheartening behaviour, Gabriel swore and took out his cell phone.

_hey sammy, where u at?_

He tapped his foot for a few moments before making a box of expensive caramels appear. He could be patient, but only on his own terms. Those sigils Castiel carved into the Winchesters' ribs weren't useful to him at all.

_Hi, who is this?_

The archangel smiled cheekily as he typed out his response: _ur pal loki. i know where cas and ur bro are. u cant have gone far._ Yes, staying aloof and threatening was always the entertaining option. He could easily imagine Sam's reaction. Only few seconds passed before he received a reply.

_I don't think so, Gabriel._

So be it. Gabriel stretched out his six golden wings and flew quickly to places that sold food at nine in the morning. When he didn't find the exact moose he was searching for, he took to the skies of the small city and looked below him. The whole process of finding Sam was thirteen seconds Gabriel could have spent in better ways, but find him he did. He was sitting on a park bench eating a fruit salad.

"That needs more chocolate." Sam choked on a piece cantaloupe when the archangel appeared beside him. Looking down at his breakfast, he was unsurprised to see that it was covered in chocolate syrup.

"Naturally," Sam scoffed. "What do you want?"

"How about a hug?" He tried to look as genuine as possible. Sam's expression was worth it. "It's about your brother, Sammy." As expected, he sported a Class A Bitchface (which delighted Gabriel).

"Don't call me that," he shot. Gabriel smirked.

"Ooh, testy. I'll call you what I want, kid. I think I have that right as one of the most powerful beings in the universe." Sam was quiet, so he continued. "Dean Winchester isn't getting the point. He and Cas should be at it like rabbits at this point." A sudden, wicked idea took root in his mind. Sam took one look at him and balked.

"Oh, no. No. You are not turning my brother into a rabbit!"

Gabriel sighed and ate one of the chocolate-covered strawberries.

"It would be really funny."

"No, Gabriel." He was lucky the archangel was in a charitable mood.

"Oh, come on. You've seen him die a hundred times--"

"More than a hundred."

"--being a bunny wouldn't kill him." Gabriel laughed at his own joke. "No, that's true. I didn't lose count: you watched your big bro die two hundred and fifty-four times. This won't be the big two-five-five unless I lose my patience."

"Okay, so what's the point? You want Dean and Cas to...get together?"

"You got it."

"Fine. Whatever. But no rabbits."

***

Because Gabriel could be a real bastard 97% of the time, he did change Dean into a rabbit. The other 3% accounted for the fact that he wasn't driving or surrounded by people when it happened.

They were in the Impala in the parking lot of a McDonald's and Dean was eating a breakfast sandwich. Cas was looking out of the passenger window at nothing in particular when he heard the rustle of wrappers and food hitting the upholstery. He looked over to find a brown rabbit in Dean's place. All of his clothes were conveniently gone as well.

"Dean, I can't drive," he told the rabbit after a pause.

Sam received a text from Castiel not long after.

_Dean is not able to drive. We are at the McDonald's._

He looked over with a scowl on his face but Gabriel had disappeared. _Of course_ , he thought. He threw his fruit in a waste basket and asked a lady walking her dog where the Golden Arches were. He thought he knew why changing them into animals would help, but he couldn't imagine why Gabriel would even care. Frankly, he didn't even know Cas knew how to text.

Sam arrived at the Impala to find Castiel in the passenger seat and a bit of a mess in the driver's. Cas sat calmly, holding the brown rabbit gently in his arms. Sam frowned and made a mental note to chastise Gabriel soon. On the other hand, however, he found himself appreciating the fact that Dean would be eating "rabbit food" henceforth. He opened the driver's door, got in, and gave Cas a look.

"I'll take care of him," Castiel assured. _Just as Dean had taken care of me._

"I guess I'll deal with Gabriel then." He ran a hand through his hair and started the engine. "This can't last another month like it did for you. We can't really...do _anything_...if Dean is a rabbit."

Castiel sat with Dean in his arms. He felt very soft but didn't seem to enjoy being petted.

***

Dean was a rabbit for exactly 24 hours. In that time, none of Sam's texts to Gabriel were answered, which was typical. Sam spent his time reading and browsing the web, researching and occasionally bouncing ideas off of Cas. If he tried to pick Dean up he found his hand was bitten so he avoided doing that. Cas seemed to have it under control. Dean would eat almost anything he was fed and spent his time either in Castiel's arms or on a soft surface. He didn't do much but Cas didn't complain. When Sam was outside the motel room or in the shower, he spoke softly to Dean and tried to read his responses by looking at his eyes and body language. He was extraordinarily gentle with every touch. Humans were fragile enough to deal with; he had to be especially careful now. Castiel feared for Dean's safety. Isn't that what love meant? He was discovering that perhaps that wasn't the only part of loving humans. What else was it?

He could touch Dean in the vessel of a small cat and he could touch Dean now as an angel. It made sense that touch could be a very pure _expression_ of love. It was a connection between the two of them that brought them closer, or at least for the time being. For those 24 hours Castiel held Dean often and didn't leave his side. Again, he was able feel Dean's heartbeat thrum against his hand. It was small and quick but still brought him a bit of comfort.

Soon enough, 24 hours had passed and Dean was back to his usual self. It happened without warning: one second Dean was a rabbit, and the next, he was human and complaining with every breath. Gabriel flew in for the occasion and got an earful from the Winchesters in return.

"What happened to 'no rabbits'?" Sam shot.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Dean was seething.

"I don't know why I bother." Gabriel huffed. "Listen, Dean-o. I'm not just doing these things to be a dick. Cas has thought about it already...try giving it a shot." And with that, Gabriel left.

"What, turning me into a freakin' rabbit wasn't only his idea of a good time?"

"You were a rabbit for a day. Cas was a cat for a month. I don't see him complaining."

"Yeah, well, I got shit to do. That's a day we could've spent ganking demons, Sam." The whole situation was ridiculous. As if their lives weren't enough of a joke already because of the trickster!

"Maybe Gabriel has a point though."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just think about it, Dean." Sam looked at Castiel pointedly. "I'm getting lunch." Then Sam was gone too. Dean sighed.

"This is stupid. I can't believe this shit. What, like he thinks giving us fur is gonna-." He stopped himself before he could say anything else.

"Dean." Castiel's hand touched his briefly. Dean flushed. There was a moment of quiet until he couldn't bite it back anymore.

"I'm not--I'm not gay, Cas!"

The angel hesitated at first but pressed on. He moved to face Dean and looked at him: his green irises, his long eyelashes, the smattering of freckles, his lips. Touch. _Connect._ Neither spoke. Castiel was being very careful. He moved his hand and touched Dean's again.

"Cas." Dean couldn't move away. He never could brush it off, he knew, not when Cas gave him that soul-searching stare.

Dean knew the exact moment something finally clicked into place between them.

With his free hand, he pulled Cas closer until their eyes closed and their lips met. They moved together, careful, slow, and all the worry Dean had coiled in him fell away to nothing.


End file.
